DOJ Preps Antitrust Suits Against Facebook & Google: Report

According to The Wall Street Journal, both federal and state antitrust authorities will be filing new lawsuits against Google and Facebook. This would mark the first time that Facebook has been sued by the government on antitrust grounds.

According to the report, the authorities are readying as many as four more cases targeting Google or Facebook by the end of January, the people said, following the Justice Department’s antitrust lawsuit against Google last month.

According to the WSJ, federal and state officials are probing whether the tech giants abused their power in the internet economy; Google to dominate search and advertising, and Facebook to dominate social media.

A potential case against Facebook would likely delve into whether the company abuses its position to stifle competition or puts user data at risk the former claim will likely take a close look at the company’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp.

If Facebook were to be sued, it would mark the first government antitrust action against the social-media titan in the US. Facebook has come under particular criticism from Republicans and Democrats in Congress.